In recent years, various different digital audio encoding standards are established to provide a high-quality audio compression. At present, the popular formats include MPEG-1 Layer3 (MP3), MPEG-2/4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), DOLBY AC-3, and WMA, and these audio encoding standards are used extensively in many areas, and each audio standard has its unique advantages. Apparently, there is no standard that will be able to replace all other standards in the coming few years.
Based on the consideration of different applications, there will be no particular audio compression standard capable of replacing all other audio compression standard specifications in the near future, and thus a design capable of supporting audio decoders of different standards not only enhances the application of a product, but also greatly improves its competitiveness.
Therefore, a decoder that only supports a single format can no longer satisfy consumer requirements anymore, and the trend is to provide a product with more functions. Designers and manufacturers try to design a single audio decoder that can handle various different audio formats. Further, low price and low power consumption are the major factors for integrating different audio compression standards of mobile phones and other portable products. Thus, it is a subject for manufacturers of audio related products, mobile phones and communication products to develop a decoder to support various different formats with a minimum hardware.